


December 22nd

by AllHaleOlicity



Series: Holidays 2019 [24]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Next Generation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21910516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllHaleOlicity/pseuds/AllHaleOlicity
Summary: Wrapped Up
Series: Holidays 2019 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559932
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	December 22nd

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts), [foreverfelicityqueen (stydiasredstring)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stydiasredstring/gifts), [Mimozka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimozka/gifts).



Having a big family meant a lot of things. For one, you have to make sure that you call dibs on the stuff you want. You want to shower? Dibs. You want the last oatmeal cookie? Dibs. You want to have your own bedroom? Too bad, you're sharing. Having a big extended family meant a lot too. You have to buy gifts for everyone and you need to make sure you don't leave anyone out. You also have to send out a lot of thank you cards when you get gifts...Why can't people just text?

This year, AJ was doing things differently. She didn't want to spend her entire allowance on gifts for her family. She loved them, but she also loved having money for food and clothes. So her gift this year? Herself.

She stood in front of a giant box, wrapping paper in hand. Her brother Apollo stood beside her, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

"This is the dumbest idea you have ever had." He said, looking at the box.

She shot him a glare, then shoved the wrapping paper towards him. "Just wrap me up." She said, climbing into the box.

He sighed, taking the wrapping paper and the tape from the coffee table. "You're going to suffocate."

"You aren't wrapping the box, only me in the box. The box will be closed with duct tape." She stopped to consider her plan for a minute, then stepped out of the box and took the scissors from the coffee table.

Apollo backed up, he didn't trust her with any sharp objects. No one did. You cut one head off of a barbie... AJ bent down and started stabbing holes into the box until the entire side of the box had air holes big enough to breathe but small enough that no one could peak inside to see what it was.

She handed the scissors to Apollo and climbed back into the box. "Wrap me!"

"Last chance, I can drive you to the mall-"

"I said wrap me!"

Apollo shrugged, taking the wrapping paper and doing as he was told. This was gonna be a mess to watch, luckily he'll have it all on video.

Once fully wrapped, Apollo closed AJ in the box. He found the strong duct tape and shut the box so there was barely any way for the outside to get in. AJ had a pocket knife with her, she could cut the box from the angle she needed and could get out with no issue if worst case scenario decided to show up. It was going to be her cousin's that would have a hard time getting in.

Apollo finished taping up the box, hitting the top of it lightly. "You good?"

"Don't talk to me, I'm a box!"

"I have to go get cookies."

"Apollo!"

"I'll be right back, like 4 minutes."

"Apollo, don't you dare leave me alone in this box!"

Apollo looked around the empty living room. "You can get your arms free from the wrapping paper and get your knife, right?"

AJ felt around in her wrapping paper blanket and nodded. "Yeah?"

"You'll be fine." He patted the top of the box again before walking towards the front door of the Queen mansion.

As he made his way to the door, it opened and all of his cousins flooded in. They all walked past him, but looked very curious as to why he was there. Bex was the one who stopped to question it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, stopping in front of him and crossing her arms.

"Ariel wanted me to bring your gift by. It's a family gift. She wanted it to be here before you got back from the parade."

Bex nodded slowly, watching Apollo very closely. "Where is AJ?"

"Work."

"Work?"

He nodded.

She uncrossed her arms and shrugged. "Okay." She leaned in closer, despite all of her other family members being in the living room by now. "If this is a prank, you'll regret it."

"Not a prank." He shook his head, then pointed to the door. "I do have to buy cookies for tonight, so go find your gift. I'll be back." He moved past her and walked out of the house.

Bex waited a moment, then joined everyone else in the living room.

When she walked to the living room, everyone was around the box. Chris stood back towards the entrance of the living room, clearly unsure of the situation. Eliza and Ada were looking at the duct tape. Mia was trying to see if there was any kind of hint to what was inside through the small holes. William and Owen stood back, watching the girls.

Eliza stood up from her spot beside the box. "It says to Kings and Queens." She held up a small card, William reached out for it so she handed it to him.

"Yep." He nodded. "Definitely AJ." He handed the card back to Eliza.

"Let me see." Chris reached out now, Eliza walked over and handed it to her.

She took the small card and put a finger on the marker, then lifted it up. "It wasn't written down too long ago." She said, looking at the back of the card to see if there was anything else written on it.

"Great detective work, Rookie." Bex said, walking up beside Chris. She received a glare form her sister for that remark, but no one noticed it except for her. She chose not to react. That would be a fight they have later.

Ada stood up next, complete hopelessness in her voice. "The duct tape won't come off."

Mia stood up beside her. "I have an idea, but you'll all say no."

William was the first to step up. "No."

"You haven't even heard it yet."

"I don't care." He shook his head. "No."

Oliver and Tommy walked into the living room, looked at the box, then at all of the kids.

"No what?" Tommy asked, looking between the two siblings.

"I don't know." William looked at Tommy. "But if it's Mia, it's a no."

"That's not exactly fair..." Oliver spoke up. "Mia, what were you saying?"

"I was gonna shoot flaming arrows at the box to-"

"No." Oliver shook his head.

Mia looked over at him, offended he didn't let her finish.

"I'm sorry, I tried to side with you."

She groaned, turning to look at the box. "I'll get a match then." She pulled a small box of matches out of her pocket and bent down towards the side of the box. She held the match box up to the holes and pulled a match out. 

Before she could light it, the box opened up and a gift-wrapped AJ popped out like a Jack-in-the-box.

"Surprise! I'm your present!" She smiled, only having one arm free from the wrapping paper.

Bex quickly ran over and tackled her onto the couch that was behind the box. "You could have gotten burned alive!"

AJ laughed. She'd love to say that Mia wouldn't burn a random box with air holes in the middle of her living room...But she knew that she would definitely do that.

"You're the present?" Eliza asked, walking over to the couch.

"Yeah!" She said, looking past Bex to Eliza.

"Can I get a refund?" Oliver asked, walking further into the living room.

"Not without a receipt."

"I work at a hospital, I can get the receipt." Tommy said, looking at Oliver.

Bex held on tighter to AJ. "No! Her Presence is a present and I love her! _ **N O**_."

Oliver and Tommy took a step back.

Bex nodded firmly before letting go of AJ and helping her unwrap herself. "Never put yourself in a box again."

"I wasn't alone, Apollo was supposed to help but he-"

"Went to get cookies." Bex finished.

She nodded.

The house soon settled down and Oliver and Tommy took the wrapping paper and the box out of the way so that the kids could sit.

"I have a question..." AJ looked between all of her cousins. "Why does Mia have matches?"

Everyone turned to Mia. She shrugged. This was an answer everyone accepted. Whether they accepted it because there are plenty of valid reasons to own matches, or because they were afraid to push her for answers was a mystery. But they accepted her answer.


End file.
